The present invention is directed to improvements in centrifuging apparatus such as used for dewatering, mixing, classifying, granulation or the like.
Centrifuging apparatus is used for the performance of various operations on materials such as where the materials must be separated or cleaned or otherwise treated under the influence of a relatively high centrifugal acceleration. By such centrifuges, greater forces can be applied to the material than that capable of being applied with the utilization of gravity.
It has been proposed to manufacture drums for centrifuging operation from nonrigid material such as rubber or textile structures wherein the structures are used in a rotating basket shell. One such proposal is illustrated in German Patent DP 1,226,862 which has no apparatus for charging or emptying the shell. Another proposal utilizes rubber vehicle tires as a basket shell.
For the purposes of emptying the shell, German Patent 1,296,945 provides a nozzle immersed in the rotating material within the shell. This proposal has the disadvantage that when a vehicle tire is used and is greatly deformed at the side wall, this heats the tire which ultimately fails. With constant operation which is desirable in the manufacturing process, a number of such tires each having a nozzle must be connected in series. This leads to substantial wear and cannot be utilized for many non-liquid substances.
A recent proposal provides a drum of flexible textile fabric. The discharge of goods occurs through a large number of openings in the shell, DE-OS 3,537,662. Difficulties in keeping the phases separated outside of the drum can occur. Further, the strength of the drum is weakened by the holes.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a continuously operating centrifugal apparatus with nonrigid walls wherein a surer discharge of the goods from the rotating drum occurs without disadvantageous wear or damage to the drum, to the materials being subjected to centrifuging, or to the discharge nozzle utilized for discharging the product.
A further object of the invention is to provide an improved structure for subjecting products handled therein to centrifugal action which avoids disadvantages of mechanisms heretofore available.